Corrie ten Boom was born on April 15th, 1892 in Amsterdam. She was born the youngest of four children. She had a brother, Willem, and two sisters, Elizabeth (Betsie) and Nollie. Shortly after Corrie's birth the family moved to Haarlem. Her father, Casper ten Boom, was a well-liked and well-known gentleman whom all the local children called "Opa" (grandfather). He was also the owner of a watch shop and an expert watch repairman, so Corrie naturally developed an interest in watch repair. She began training in watch-making and repairing in 1920, and in 1922 became the first licensed female watchmaker in the Netherlands.
Photograph of the ten Boom children. (From left: Betsie, Willem, Nollie, and Corrie)
Picture courtesy of: Dallas Baptist University online archive on Corrie ten Boom
Above is a picture of the ten Boom famiy taken in 1902. 10-year-old Corrie is on the far right.